


New Neighbors

by thatwriterlady



Series: 30 Day Writing Challenge 2017 [16]
Category: Supenatural
Genre: Aggressive Neighbor, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Castiel Likes Dean Winchester, Charlie Ships It, Dean Winchester Likes Castiel, F/F, First Date, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Homophobic Neighbor, M/M, New Neighbors, Protective Castiel, Protective Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 11:11:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12747162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterlady/pseuds/thatwriterlady
Summary: When the empty lot next door gets a new trailer, Cas greets his new neighbors with a friendly smile and welcomes them.  The man living on the other side however did the opposite.  Cas finds that he may have to step in and protect them if they're going to keep the peace, and keep them safe.





	New Neighbors

**Author's Note:**

> So the word for today was "Shed". I do hope you all like this one. I could have gone in a couple of different directions, but this one spoke to me. Hopefully you all enjoy it. I am going to go and nurse this cold I've had since last week, and try to get this miserable migraine to leave me alone, Have a lovely evening everyone!

**Day 16~**

**Shed~**

 

Most of the houses in the park were well maintained, the yards kept trimmed, pretty gardens planted in most of the front yards, and people took pride in their properties.  It wasn’t where Cas had expected to end up, but after a brutal divorce that had drained his finances and put him in debt, a mobile home on a rent to own contract was literally all he could afford on his teacher’s salary.  That or another shitty apartment.  He’d opted for the trailer that he could turn around and sell in a few years.  The little bit of alimony he was getting he used to pay the lawyer fees, and his paycheck went to pay everything else.  Overall, he lived relatively comfortably.  He had a nice little two bedroom trailer and enough money to go out every once in a while with friends.  It was better than it had been when he’d been married, and even with a tight budget, he was happier than he’d been in years.

 

Neighbors came and went, he was used to it, and seeing moving trucks became a regular sight around the park.  Sometimes the trailers were moved out completely and new ones were moved in.  When a bright purple and pink one was moved in right next door, he wasn’t quite sure what to think.  It hurt his eyes to look at, and he found himself wondering whether people already lived in it or if the park had purchased it and planned to repaint it and rent it out.  He got his answer two days after it was hooked up when he came home from work and saw a yellow Volkswagen Beetle parked in the driveway and two ladies unloading the moving truck parked next to it.

 

“Hi!  We’re your new neighbors!  I’m Charlie and this is my wife Gilda.”  The woman with bright red hair cut across the grass, carefully avoiding Cas’ flowers to come shake his hand. 

 

“Hello, I’m Cas.  I was wondering whether someone already lived here or if they’d bought the trailer at auction.”

 

“Oh, it’s ours.  We moved it from a park that was closing down.  The same company that owns this one owned that one too, and the lot rents are cheaper here.”  Charlie explained.  Cas looked up at the brightly colored house, just now noticing the yellow shutters.  When he looked back at the two women he realized they were both dressed just as colorfully. 

 

“Would you like some help?”  He asked.

 

“Sure.  We have beer.”  Gilda offered.  Cas smiled.  After the day he’d had, that sounded great.

 

“Just let me change and I’ll be right over.”

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

They got the truck unloaded in just under three hours and Cas offered to fire up his grill and make them dinner.  It was Friday and he didn’t have anywhere to be tomorrow, so he didn’t mind staying up late to chat with his new neighbors.  Charlie produced vegan burgers and as Cas was putting them on the grill, a black car pulled up at the curb between their driveways.  He watched as two men got out and headed into Charlie’s house.  Gilda appeared with vegetable kabobs to add to the grill and marinated chicken breasts.

 

“Is it ok if we add this too?  Our friends just showed up.  They’re going to return the truck tonight, and we invited them to stay for dinner.” 

 

“Sure.  Leave them here and I’ll add them.”  He told her.  She set down the two plates. 

 

“I’ll bring back another beer for you.” 

 

“Thanks.”  He watched her jog down the steps and head back to her own house.  Both Charlie and Gilda were nice and he was certain he was going to like them both, even if their house was an eyesore.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The taller of the two men came out and got behind the wheel of the truck, and Charlie got into her Beetle.  When the moving truck was pulled out of the driveway, Charlie followed behind him in her car.  Gilda reappeared with a beer, handing it over to Cas and leaning against the railing to watch him cook. 

 

“You’re being thoughtful, not cross contaminating the meat with the nonmeat.  That means a lot.” 

 

“I wasn’t sure if it was a dietary necessity or a preference.  I believe in respecting people, and if you eat vegan, then I won’t accidentally get meat on your food.”  He explained as he flipped a piece of the chicken with different tongs than the ones he was using for their vegan food.  He uncovered a plate of his homemade burgers and Gilda’s eyes lit up.

 

“Oh! Dean _loves_ burgers!”

 

“Dean?”  He asked as he removed the kabobs and began adding the burgers.

 

“That would be me.  You’re grilling over here?  Bothering the neighbors already?”  The man who’d been driving the black car came walking across the yard, carefully stepping around Cas’ flowers, just as Charlie and Gilda had done.  He was no longer wearing his jacket, just a black tee shirt and jeans, a half-finished bottle of beer clasped in one hand.

 

“For your information, Cas offered.  Cas, this is our friend Dean.  The one returning the truck is his brother Sam.”  Gilda introduced.  Dean came up the stairs, looking at the grill first before meeting Cas’ eye. 

 

“Nice to meet you, Cas.”  He offered his hand.  Cas nodded in greeting as he shook it firmly.

 

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Dean.”

 

“Did I hear something about burgers?”

 

Cas chuckled and nodded towards the grill.  “I had a taste for them, but I made a few too many.  I figured what I didn’t eat tonight, I’d put in the fridge for tomorrow, but you’re welcome to some.  I added bacon into them, and cheddar.”

 

“Dude, the bacon and cheese is _in_ them?”  Dean asked excitedly.  Cas smiled, he couldn’t help himself.  Dean was incredibly attractive but his enthusiasm was adorable.

 

“I did.  I like them that way.”

 

“I’ve never had them like that.  I’d love to try one.  Do you have buns or do we have to eat their vegan ones?”  Dean grimaced and Gilda smacked his arm, even though she was laughing.  Cas couldn’t help laughing too.

 

“I do have some buns, though I should probably buy some more.  The dollar store is on the corner.”

 

“No worries, I’ll go grab them.  You need anything else?  More beer?  Chips?”  Dean finished his beer off and Gilda took it from him so he could start down the stairs.

 

“Chips would be nice.  Oh, there is a sweet potato chip there that Charlie and Gilda may like too.  It’s vegan, only a $1.  Personally, I’d like some Cool Ranch.”  Cas said.  Dean grinned up at him.

 

“A man after my own heart.  You got it.  Gilda, the sweet potato chips sound good to you?”

 

“Yes, very.  Two bags because they’re small.  Those are in the dollar aisle, not with the rest of the chips.”  She said. 

 

“Ok, I’ll be back in a few.”  He started walking and Cas tried not to be obvious about watching him go.

 

“He was going to go with Sam to return the truck but Charlie had to finish up some paperwork to get her discount because she used her card, so she went with Sam instead.  Dean decided to stay and unpack instead.  He already got most of our kitchen put away and hooked up the dishwasher.  They couldn’t get off work earlier or they’d have been here to help unload, but they’re going to help with the unpacking.”  Gilda explained. 

 

“That’s nice.  When I moved in here, I only had my sister and nephews to help me, and the boys were nine and ten at the time.  I didn’t have much then.  Moving out would be arduous now as I have more stuff than I did then.  I have more friends as well to help, but I don’t plan to move for a while.”  Cas said as he flipped the burgers.

 

“That’s good.  We like finding good neighbors, and the man on the other side of us has been very rude to us already.  Tomorrow our shed will be delivered and he tried to tell us we can’t have one here, yet I can clearly see that everyone around here has one, including him.  He said our house is ugly and that we’re living in sin and called us a number of nasty names.  Charlie almost punched him.  She has a temper.” 

 

Cas looked past their trailer at the one she was talking about.  He’d had a few run ins with Arthur Ketch himself, and he had no love for the man.  How someone with their nose so high in the air found themselves living in a mobile home park, he had no idea, but Ketch thought himself better than anyone else living there, and he was definitely homophobic.  The man was always touting bible passages though, and even had crosses tattooed on him.  He was not a person to mess with.

 

“Avoid him, he’s trouble.  Ignore him the best that you can.  Rumor has it this is his last year paying on his trailer and he plans to sell it and move.  Just hold out like six months and we should all be rid of him.”

 

“I’ll try.  If he tries crap though, we will have cameras put up, and we’ll report him to the police.  We don’t tolerate homophobia.  Most of our friends are queer and we’re not going to put them in danger because he’s a jerk.  Dean won’t tolerate his insults, neither will Sam, and they shouldn’t have to.”  Gilda said.

 

“He’s said a few nasty things to me since I moved in, but mostly I just ignore him.  Because I do, he has left me alone for the most part.  Hopefully he will do the same to you.” 

 

Dean returned with the chips and buns, and went into Charlie and Gilda’s house to set things up in the kitchen.  Cas finished cooking and with Gilda’s help they carried the food over to her house just in time for Charlie and Sam to return.  Walking into the house, Cas was impressed to find that the kitchen was now completely unpacked, and Dean had set the table.  He’d plugged the fridge in too and was unloading coolers, storing things in the fridge and freezer.  Gilda jumped in to help him.

 

“I’m sure you met Dean, but this is Sam.  Sam, this is our neighbor, Cas.”  Charlie introduced.  Sam offered his hand and Cas shook it.

 

“Nice to meet you.”  Sam was pleasant, and very polite. 

 

“It’s very nice to meet you too.”  Cas said.

 

“Oh, we’re not eating vegan?”  Sam asked when he spotted the burgers and chicken.

 

“Cas made burgers, with the cheese and bacon _inside them_!”  Dean exclaimed from his spot on the floor.  Sam chuckled.

 

“You just made a lifelong friend.  Dean adores burgers.”

 

“So I’ve heard.  There is plenty of food for everyone.”  Cas motioned towards the table. 

 

“No salad?”  Sam asked.  Dean groaned and rolled his eyes.

 

“Aren’t the vegetable kabobs good enough?”

 

“I have salad in that cooler.”  Charlie patted Sam’s arm and pointed toward one of the cooler bags that Dean hadn’t gotten to yet.  Sam went for it and pulled out a large container of mixed greens.

 

“Sweet!”

 

“My brother’s a rabbit.”  Dean said, directing his words towards Cas who chuckled.

 

“Then I may be as well because I love vegetables too.  I’ll have some salad, if you don’t mind.”

 

“I’ve been betrayed.”  Dean clutched at his chest, feigning betrayal.  While his brother rolled his eyes, Cas smiled wide.

 

“I did make you burgers filled with cheese and bacon.  You might just take back that comment about betrayal once you try one.”

 

He found the buns Dean had bought and pulled one out.  After sliding a burger onto it, he added some of the mixed greens and some ketchup.  Once he’d closed it, he set it on a plate and set it down in front of Dean who had put away the last of the items in the cooler and finally joined them at the table.

 

“Dude, you put _salad_ on my burger.”  He pouted.

 

“It’s not lettuce.  And it adds to the flavor.  Try it.”  Cas encouraged.  Dean eyed it for a moment before picking it up and taking a bite.  Even Sam was watching, holding his breath as he waited to see how his brother reacted.

 

“Damn, this might be the best burger I’ve ever had.”  Dean nodded in approval.  Cas smiled wide as he sat down across from him.  Charlie pulled a bottle of ice tea out of the fridge and poured some for everyone while they all got to eating.

 

“So, Cas, what is it that you do?”  Sam asked.

 

“I’m a teacher.  I teach middle school history and English, 5th and 6th grade.”  Cas replied.

 

“Oh, that’s wonderful!”  Gilda gushed.  “I love kids!  I run a daycare at the YMCA, but I also teach yoga.  Charlie is a computer programmer.”

 

Cas smiled at them both.  He thought that was wonderful.  He turned his attention to Sam and Dean.  “What do you do?”

 

“I run my uncle’s garage.  One day I’ll inherit it.”  Dean replied.

 

“I’m a lawyer.”  Sam said.

 

“Very diverse.”  Cas commented.

 

“Well, Dean and I have known each other since kindergarten, and I’ve pretty much known since then that he was going to be a mechanic.  Don’t let him fool you though, he holds an engineering degree too.  He did that for a number of years until his uncle got hurt and couldn’t run the garage anymore.  I’ve always had an affinity towards technology.  I got my hands on my first computer when I was eight and I took it apart, learned how it worked, and put it back together.  After that my dad would find me ones that didn’t work and bring them to me so I could fix them.  I got better and better at it until I could fix anything brought to me.  Eventually Dean taught me how to work on cars and I taught him how to work on computers.  Worked out great for both of us.”  Charlie smiled cheekily at her friend.  Dean had devoured his burger and was loading up a bun with another one.  He froze adding the greens to it and blushed when Cas smiled at him.

 

“I didn’t taste them, so I figured why not.”

 

“That’s the point.”  Cas pushed the ketchup closer and Dean added a squirt of that too.

 

“So, you live alone?”  Sam asked.

 

“Ignore my brother, he’s nosey.”  Dean shot his brother a look and got a bitchface in return.

 

“It’s alright, how else do people get to know one another?  The answer is yes, I do live alone.  I’m divorced and paying off my lawyers.  Once I’m finished with that and finished with paying off this place, I can think about moving, but I’m in no rush.  I happen to like it here.”

 

“Was she a bitch?  Did she cheat?”  Gilda asked.

 

Cas blushed and reached into the bag of Cool Ranch Doritos to add some to his plate.

 

“It was a he, and yes, he did cheat, quite often, then tried to blame it on me.  He cheated before we got married.  I saw the warning signs and I never should have said yes.  I have since rectified that since and I’m in a much better place now.”

 

“Sounds like an asshole.”  Dean said.  When Cas looked up at him he saw sympathy on the man’s face, not pity,  He appreciated that.

 

“He is.  I am using the pathetic amount of alimony I get to pay off the lawyers, but I still have a ways to go.”

 

“Hey, you’re making a life for yourself.  That’s more than some people get to do.  Be glad you got free.”  Sam patted his shoulder and Cas smiled.

 

“You’re right.  I am very glad to be free.”

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Cas went home with the leftover Doritos and the remaining piece of chicken.  He was glad to have lunch for the following day.  Dean and Sam stayed to help Charlie and Gilda unpack, and of course Charlie was less than subtle about pointing out how attractive her new neighbor was.

 

“Cas is hot, isn’t he.”  She said as she stacked her albums on one of the built in shelves in the living room.  Dean pointedly ignored her as he helped Sam get the fish tank filled.

 

“Makes a pretty mean burger too.”  Sam couldn’t resist jumping in and helping her.  Dean glared at him before dumping the brightly colored rocks into the tank.

 

“I think he’s dreamy.  Did you hear his voice?  And those eyes, they’re so blue!”  Gilda giggled and winked at her wife before dashing out of the room as Dean chucked an empty box at her.

 

“What is wrong with you people?”  He complained.

 

“We all saw how you were looking at him.  He was checking you out too.”  Charlie put the last album on the shelf and got up to carefully remove her turntable from another box and add that to the shelf above them.

 

“I noticed.”  He said with a smirk.  “I was definitely checking him out too.”

 

“So you _do_ like him.”  Charlie poked him in the arm before she leaned down to scoop up all of the newspaper they’d left laying around.

 

“I just met him.  I don’t know him.”  He argued.

 

“But you could come around more, get to know him.  I think we should have more summer barbecues.  Our yard here is bigger, and I don’t really think he’ll mind if we throw them between his yard and ours, as long as we are mindful of his flowers.  His gardens are so pretty.  I’m going to ask him to help me plant some here, so ours look as nice.”  She started breaking down boxes and stacking them in the corner.  Gilda came back to help her and got the pictures hung up while Charlie stored the boxes in the third bedroom closet. 

 

“You know I always come around anyway.  He’ll see enough of me as it is.”  Dean joked.

 

“He’s going to fall madly in love with you.”  Gilda gave an exaggerated sigh and batted her eyes at him, making him snort and shove her as he went for the bowl with the fish in it.

 

“We’re not adding the fish tonight.  We have to regulate the PH balance in the tank first.”  Sam said.  “They’ll go in later.”

 

“Fine, whatever.”  Dean set the fish bowl on a kitchen counter, out of the way so they wouldn’t get knocked down and proceeded to help finish breaking down the boxes in the living room and putting things up on shelves.  He hooked up the TV and Blu-ray player while Charlie worked on setting up hers and Gilda’s computers.  By 2am the living room was fully unpacked and everyone was exhausted.

 

“We ready to go?”  Dean looked to his brother who nodded.

 

“Yeah, I’m ready to pass out.”

 

“You coming by tomorrow to help install the shed?”  Gilda asked.

 

“I can.”  Dean replied.

 

“I can’t, I’m taking Eileen to the fair, but if you need help in the afternoon, I can swing by.”  Sam covered up a yawn with his hand as he shuffled towards the door. 

 

“I should be able to manage it.”  Dean said as he followed him.  “But I’ll let you know.”

 

“It will be here at 9am.”  Gilda pulled herself up from the couch and followed them to the door.

 

“Well, I’m not going to be here at that time.  I need sleep.”  Dean laughed.  “Maybe by ten.  Make coffee, hon.”

 

“Will do.”  She closed the door behind them and locked it.  The house was quiet, save for the fish tank and the hum of the computers.

 

“It’s quieter here than at the old park.”  Charlie noted.  Gilda nodded.

 

“I like that.  Even the jerk next door is being quiet.  Let’s hope he doesn’t give us a hard time tomorrow.”

 

Charlie’s eye twitched just thinking about that asshole.  “He better not.”

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Cas woke to the sound of a truck backing up and quite a bit of cursing, but beyond that he could hear Ketch yelling.  He pulled himself out of bed and staggered into the living room.  The noise outside grew louder as he made his way to the front door and pulled it open.  Charlie and Ketch were in a screaming match that Gilda was unsuccessfully trying to break up, and Dean was just pulling up.  Cas hurried down the stairs and ran over before he was even out of his car.

 

“Don’t get involved.”  He warned. 

 

“Who is this guy?”  Dean was staring angrily at Ketch who was still going toe to toe with Charlie.

 

“He’s bad news, and I’d hate for you to get hurt.  He’s the neighbor on the other side of Charlie and Gilda.  Let me attempt to diffuse this.”  Cas didn’t move until he was sure Dean wasn’t going to go after Ketch.  Taking a deep breath, he walked over to them and butted right into the middle.

 

“Arthur, what on earth has you riled up so early in the morning that you woke me up, two houses over?”

 

“ _They_ woke _me_ up!”  Ketch growled, and shot a nasty glare at Charlie and Gilda.

 

“Ketch, you and I both know that you wake up by 7am every day of the week.  You’ve woken up the entire neighborhood mowing your lawn until people started filing complaints against you.  So don’t tell me they woke you up at…”  Cas looked at Charlie.  “What the hell time is it?”

 

“It’s almost ten.  The truck was running late.”  She replied.

 

“Almost ten.  You can go back inside and take a nap if it bothers you that much.  Stop bothering them, let them get their shed unloaded, and then the noise will stop.  It’s really pretty simple.  If you harass them, it’s going to take twice as long, and there’s no reason for it.  They have every right to install a shed.  We all have one.”  Cas threw his hands up in the air in sheer exasperation. 

 

“Not one that bloody big, they don’t!  Look at it!  We’re not allowed to have them that size and you know it!  It extends past their property line and onto my property.  I won’t stand for it.  I _will_ file a complaint!”  Ketch was shouting again and Cas was done.

 

“Shut up!”  He screamed.  Ketch fell silent, his jaw dropped in shock at having been yelled at like that.  Cas turned to Charlie.  “Do you have a measuring tape?”

 

“I do, in my trunk.”  Dean went around to the back and popped the trunk.  He rooted around for a moment and came up with the tape, carrying it over and placing it in Cas’ hand.

 

“I’m going to put this ridiculous complaint to rest.  Follow me, and no one had better say a damn word.”  Cas snapped.  He went around the other side of the house, between Ketch’s and Charlie and Gilda’s, where the shed and been deposited.  It was a normal looking shed, painted a bright, cheery yellow with a pink roof.  Sure it looked a bit bigger, but not that much bigger.  Cas turned to Dean first. 

 

“Can you copy down the measurements I give you?”

 

Dean pulled out his phone and nodded.  “Sure.”

 

Cas did a quick measurement of the shed, then measured the property lines.  The shed actually didn’t go over Ketch’s line at all, it was still a good four feet away from it.  Cas gave him an icy look before marching over to Ketch’s own shed and measuring it.

 

“What are you doing?”  He demanded.

 

“Measuring your shed.  You think you’re so much better than everyone else, but you’re really not.”  Cas replied.  He read off the measurements to Dean who added them into the notepad on his phone.

 

“His shed is wider than Charlie and Gilda’s, but not deeper.  Theirs is deeper, but not wider.  So basically about the same size.”  Dean said.

 

“As I suspected.” 

 

“It doesn’t prove anything.”  Ketch sniffed and lifted his nose in the air.

 

“Sure it does.  It proves that you’re an asshole.”  Cas snapped.  Ketch’s jaw dropped a second time before he turned around and stomped off.  A moment later his front door slammed.

 

“Whoa, you’re bad ass.”  Dean said, grinning.

 

“No, I’m not a morning person, especially when I’m rudely awoken and have not had my coffee.  I can barely tolerate him on a good day.  Today is not a good day.”  Cas handed the tape measure back, only just realizing he’d come outside in nothing but his pajama bottoms.  He didn’t even have his slippers on.  Dean was openly checking him out and all he could think was that he needed a shower and a shave.  And copious amounts of coffee.

 

“I don’t think anyone could tolerate that man, ever.”  Charlie put her hands on her hips and looked at the shed.  “We need to walk it back into the spot I chose for it, against the trailer.  I put down the base, we have to get it onto the base.”

 

“Well let’s do it.”  Dean clapped his hands together and started for the shed.

 

“Would you like some help?”  Cas asked.  “I need to put clothes on first, but I can help lift it up.”

 

“Clothing is optional.”  Dean winked and flashed him a smile that got him laughing. 

 

“I’m sure, but I’d rather not get hurt, and I definitely need shoes.”

 

“Sure, four people can lift it easier than three.”  Gilda said.  “Plus, if the jerk comes back, you seem better capable of dealing with him.  We’ll pay you back with coffee.  You’ll need your own creamer though, if you want something that isn’t vegan based.”

 

“I have creamer if you provide the coffee.  I’ll go change.”  Cas left to go back to his house and Dean enjoyed watching him walk away.

 

“Damn that man is fine!”  He bit his lower lip and tried to shake off the arousal he’d felt since first seeing Cas come rushing up to him half naked. 

 

“Keep your eyes in your head, you old hound dog.”  Gilda teased.

 

“Nah, my playboy days are long over.  I want what you guys have.  Maybe I could have that with Cas.  Who knows?”  Dean shrugged.

 

Charlie and her wife shared a knowing look.  Deep down Dean was a romantic, and he wanted love, just like anyone else.  He’d tried a few times to find it but hadn’t been successful.  It didn’t mean he wasn’t still looking.

 

Cas didn’t take long and when he came back he was dressed in a worn tee shirt and low slung jeans that were giving Dean all sorts of ideas.  It wasn’t helping his attraction in the slightest.  Between the four of them they got the shed moved into place and then Dean was screwing it down to the base.  After making sure it was sealed tight so no critters could get in, they all headed inside for coffee.  Cas had stopped off to grab his creamer, and he cleared off two huge mugs of coffee before he finally started to feel human.  Charlie whipped up some pancakes which he was surprised to find were quite delicious.  Even Dean ate some without complaint. 

 

“You unpacked very quickly.  I didn’t expect that.”  Cas said as he nursed his third cup of coffee.

 

“It looks like we have a lot of stuff but we’re insanely organized, and we had everything packed in such a way that it was really easy to just pull it back out and put it where it originally was.  The last thing we need to unpack is the lawn stuff.  We’ll put that out in the shed and lock it up tight.  Later I’ll go out and install another camera angled towards the shed so if anyone tries to break in, we can see it.”  Charlie explained.  “We still have to unpack our bedroom, and while we have computers in here, the gaming computers are in one of the spare bedrooms.  The third bedroom is for guests.”

 

“I have a two bedroom.  Having a three bedroom didn’t make sense for me, plus it was more money.  I just have a two bedroom.  The second room is for when my nephews come to visit, which is rare.”  Cas didn’t have many guests that came to stay overnight.

 

“You’re single?”  Gilda asked.  Cas smirked around the edge of his mug and his eyes slid over to Dean who was doing a poor job of masking his curiosity over his answer.

 

“Currently yes, I’m single.  I’ve dated on and off since my divorce, but I haven’t met anyone I really connected with.  Mostly I just work, come home, grade papers, sit down and watch TV.  On the weekends I sometimes go out with friends.  Tonight I’m supposed to meet up with some of them and go to a bar and a fest downtown.  You should come.  It’ll be fun.”

 

“Is it that one on Main street?”  Charlie asked.  Cas nodded.

 

“I like that one, it’s fun.  We haven’t gone in a few years.”  Gilda said.

 

“We should go.”  Charlie looked over at Dean who was watching them all quietly.  “You’re coming too.”

 

“Was I part of that invitation?”

 

“Of course you’re part of that invitation.”  Cas crossed the living room and came to sit down beside him on the couch.  He was close enough that their thighs were touching and it sent more sparks of arousal through Dean.

 

“Cool, yeah, I’d like that.  I wonder if that’s where Sam took Eileen today.”

 

“No, he took her to the state fair.  But knowing her, she’ll make him take her to the fest too.  That’s one of the things I love about this city, there’s always something to do in the summer.”  Charlie said.  Dean and Gilda both nodded in agreement.

 

“Where exactly do you teach?”  Dean asked Cas.

 

“You came down Bishop Road to get here, right?  From 46?”

 

“Yeah, cause I live not too far from here.  I have a house about a mile and a half off 46.”

 

“Well, the school you drove past on Bishop to get here?  One is the elementary school and right next to it is the middle school.  That’s where I work.  I can walk to work in the nicer weather.  When it gets too cold, I drive.”  Cas said.

 

“Convenient.  My shop isn’t far from my house either, it’s why I bought it, to be close to work.” 

 

“What time are you meeting up with your friends?”  Gilda asked.

 

“Seven.  I intend to shower and shave first.”

 

“Is it a date?”  Charlie teased.  She looked at Dean, giggling when she saw the pout on his face.  Cas smiled and patted the other man’s thigh.

 

“No, they’re friends from work, all women, and I’m gay.  We get together sometimes for drinks and to hang out.  Do all of us always go home alone?  No.  But it’s usually Meg that’s taking someone home, not me.  I’m not much for one night stands.  I prefer getting to know someone and seeing where things can go.”

 

“Me too.”  Dean smiled back at him.

 

“So, we can be ready at 6:30.  Dean, why don’t you go freshen up and be back here by that time?  You and Cas can ride together, and Gilda and I will take our car.”  Charlie said.  Dean looked over at Cas again.

 

“Are you ok with that?”

 

“Yes, I am.”

 

Dean checked his watch.  It was almost one.  “Ok, I’ll go do that.  I have some errands to run and I want to stop by the shop and make sure everything’s running smoothly.  I’ll be back here at 6:30.” 

 

“I have some grocery shopping to get done, and some laundry.  I’ll be ready by then as well.”  Cas stood up and Dean followed suit, both of them heading for the door.  Outside they shared one last smile before parting ways.  Charlie closed the door behind them and turned to look at her wife.

 

“This is totally a date for them.”

 

“I know.  They’re so cute together.”  Gilda sighed.  “What should I wear tonight?  It’s still May, how hot is it going to be?”

 

“It’s been kind of warm lately, but you might still want a light sweater for once the sun goes down.”  Charlie told her.  “I think that once we get there, we should have a chat with Cas’ friends and maybe “disappear”, so he and Dean can have some alone time.  They like each other, and I know he invited us mostly so he could ask Dean to come.  I’m not stupid.”

 

Gilda laughed as she made her way over to the couch and sat down.  Charlie joined her, stretching out and laying her head in her wife’s lap.

 

“You’re right, but they’d be so cute together.  They just need that chance to blossom, you know?  Dean is a flirt but sometimes gets shy when he really likes someone.  So I guess we’ll see tonight how he acts around Cas.”

 

“Yep.  I can’t wait to see how adorkable they both are.”  Charlie giggled.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Dean was back at 6:30 but instead of pulling into Charlie’s driveway, he pulled into Cas’ and went up to his door.  He rang the bell and waited for him to answer.  It wasn’t long before the door was opening and Cas was standing there looking even more amazing than ever.

 

“Damn…”  It slipped out before he could stop himself, but he didn’t care, Cas was hot.  Cas smiled and pushed open the screen door to let him in.

 

“I’m just grabbing my wallet and keys.  Come in a sec.”

 

Dean stepped into his house and looked around.  It was smaller than Charlie and Gilda’s trailer but very neatly kept.  Everything looked worn but well loved.  Eclectic, he thought was the right word.  Cas had disappeared down the hall, past the kitchen, but he came back quickly, tucking his phone and wallet into the back pocket of his jeans.  These were more fitting, pulling tight across his thighs and making Dean’s imagination run rampant.  He had on a blue button down that made the color of his eyes pop even more and his hair looked like he’d been running his fingers through it for hours.  Dean wished he could be the one running _his_ fingers through it, and maybe if he played his cards right, he’d get that chance someday. 

 

“Ok, I’m ready.”  Cas announced.

 

“Let’s go.”  Dean held the door open for him and once they were on the porch, Cas pulled it shut and locked it.  Charlie and Gilda were standing at their car and waved.

 

“We’ll meet you downtown.  What bar are we meeting at?”  Charlie asked.

 

“Sergeant Preston’s.”  Cas replied.  The ladies both nodded before climbing into their car.  Dean opened the passenger door for Cas and once he was seated, closed it and went around to get in behind the wheel.

 

The drive wasn’t that long, less than 20 minutes, and they found parking in the lot.  Charlie’s Beetle was already there and so was Meg’s Camry and Liz’s Acura.  They headed inside to find Charlie and Gilda waiting for them.  Meg spotted Cas and waved him over.

 

“That’s Meg.  I’ll warn you know, she’s straight and she’s a flirt.”  Cas said, looking straight at Dean.

 

“No worries, it’s not her I’m interested in.”  Dean winked at him, grinning when those blue eyes widened in momentary surprise.  Cas laughed and grabbed his hand, leading them over to the table where his friends were sitting.

 

“Clarence, I didn’t know you were bringing more people.  This is great news.  Who are you friends?”  Meg asked.

 

“Clarence?”  Dean mouthed to Charlie who shrugged and shook her head.  She didn’t know what it meant either.

 

“Charlie and Gilda are my new neighbors, they just moved in next door.  And this is Dean.”  Cas held Dean’s hand a bit tighter but Dean pulled his hand free and slid it around the man’s waist instead, a gesture Meg and the others at the table definitely did not miss.

 

“Oh, and who are _you_ Dean?  We haven’t heard that name before.”  A blonde at the table asked.  She was giggling, clearly already having drank too much wine.

 

“Well, with luck you’ll hear my name more often from here on out.”  Dean said smoothly.  Cas huffed out a small laugh and looked at him in amusement.  “At least, I sure hope so.”  Cas’ expression softened.

 

“It’s possible.”

 

He turned to the ladies at the table and pointed them out.  “This is Meg, Liz, and Becky.  Meg teaches technology and woodshop, Liz teaches home economics, health, and sex education, and Becky teaches kindergarten over at the elementary school.”

 

“Sit down, join us, have a drink!”  Becky pulled over a few more chairs and they all managed to squeeze in at the table.  That also meant Cas was practically in Dean’s lap.  Dean’s arm was across the back of his chair and he was leaning close enough that Cas could smell his cologne.  It was intoxicating nd he wanted to bury himself in it.  Maintaining his composure was proving to be difficult.  They enjoyed a couple of beers while Gilda and Charlie had some wine and got to talking with Becky and Liz.  Meg was watching Cas and Dean with a smirk though from her seat across the table.

 

“How come she calls you Clarence?”  Dean leaned close so Cas could hear him over the music.

 

“Oh, well, for two reasons.  When we first met and I told her my name, she forgot it.  I was named after an angel, Castiel, but she couldn’t remember it, only that I was named after an angel.  Well, the only angel she _could_ remember was the one from It’s a Wonderful Life; Clarence.  It sort of stuck.  She’s the only one that calls me that, everyone else calls me Cas.”

 

“It’s weird how some people get nicknames.”  Dean mused.  Cas hummed in agreement and moved closer until he was leaning against Dean’s side.  He caught Meg’s eye and the way she was smirking at him.  She’d be calling him later demanding details, he just knew it. 

 

After their drinks they all moved on to the fest which was a few blocks away.  The night had turned out to be warmer than expected and it was a pleasant walk.  Dean linked his fingers with Cas’ and they walked hand in hand the entire way.

 

“Hey, Cas?  Do you think I could take you out sometime?  Like, maybe tomorrow night?”  Dean asked as they walked among the various vendors, looking at the different wares for sale.

 

“I thought this was a date.”  Cas said, smiling.  Dean smiled back and pulled him close.

 

“I had hoped it was, but I’d like to take you to dinner, alone, just the two of us without Charlie and Gilda watching us and giggling like school girls.”  He nodded towards where his friends were a few feet away doing exactly that.  Cas chuckled at them before turning his attention back to Dean.

 

“I’d love to.  Where were you thinking?”

 

“How do you feel about Italian?”

 

“I love it.”

 

“Great, I know a fantastic little place where they make all their own sauces and stuff.  The food is amazing.”  Dean had been dying all night to wrap his arms around Cas, so he did.  He hoped he wasn’t being too forward but the man wasn’t pulling away, so he took that as a good sign.

 

“That sounds wonderful.  Pick me up at seven?”

 

“I’ll be there.  It’s semi-formal, to give you a heads up.  No expectations.  I know some guys take a date out and expect sex afterwards, but I’m not like that, ok?  I just want good company and pleasant conversation.  I know I’ll have that with you.”  Dean liked it when Cas moved even closer.  The man was almost as tall as him, a change from his last boyfriend who he’d had almost a full head over.

 

“I am glad to hear that.  I like to build up to things like that, not rush into them.  Sex is something special, or at least it should be.  We can work up to that, if you’re interested.”

 

Dean was definitely interested, but he wasn’t going to blurt that out here.  Now Meg and Becky were watching.

 

“We’ll get there in time.  For now I’m thinking some good Italian food and then maybe a walk along the river.  Or we can be really bad and go get ice cream and take that down with us when we go walk by the river.”

 

Cas smiled wide as he slipped his arms around Dean’s neck.  “I love ice cream.  We can definitely do that.”

 

“What do you say we go check out the vendor selling the art made out of melted albums?”  Dean asked.  “Seems almost sacrilegious, but I’m also sort of fascinated.”

 

“I’m sure the albums were damaged and not able to be listened to.  That’s my theory because if they were good albums, I very well might cry.”  Cas said as he stepped back and took Dean’s hand again.  Together they headed for the vendor in question.  It was definitely an interesting concept.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Getting home that night, Dean didn’t want to leave without kissing Cas, so he did.  It was chaste but sweet, and as he got back into the Impala, he noticed Ketch standing under his porch light glaring at them.  Once he realized he’d been noticed, he turned and went back into his house.  Wanting to make sure everything on Charlie and Gilda’s property was still alright, he walked around the perimeter, doing a quick check.  When he got to the shed he found that the doors had been spray painted with slurs.  His shoulders sagged and he went back over to Cas’ house and rang the bell.  Cas was surprised to see him again, and was standing there with shirt unbuttoned and his pants open.  He hurried to close them again.

 

“Dean?  What happened?”

 

“Charlie and Gilda aren’t home yet, but I have to call the police.  Can I wait here for them to arrive?”

 

“Of course, did something happen to their house?”  Cas started buttoning his shirt again as Dean dialed the sheriff’s office.

 

“Yeah, while we were all out, someone spray painted homophobic slurs on their shed, and on part of the house.”  Dean explained.  The line clicked over for the sheriff and he began explaining to them what had happened while Cas hurried outside to go see what had happened.  He was horrified that someone could be so ignorant and his first thought was that Ketch had done this.  His anger raged but he didn’t want to let it get out of control, not until he knew for certain.  The cameras would be able to tell who had done it.  He snapped a few pictures of the damage and went back inside. 

 

Dean was sitting on the couch when he walked in and he went to sit beside him.

 

“They’re on their way now.  This is vandalism, and it’s a good thing Charlie insists on the cameras.  The park might not like that she has cameras though.”  Dean said.

 

“Screw the park.  This is destruction of property.  I hope she got up the extra camera she was talking about earlier.” 

 

Dean lifted his arm and wrapped it around Cas’ shoulders, pulling him close.  The sound of a car pulling up a few minutes later got them both on their feet and they both went outside to see Charlie pulling into her driveway.  Gilda got out first, smiling and waving at them.

 

“Hi, guys!”

 

“Hey, we need to talk.”  Dean hurried down the stairs and cut across the lawn to their car.  Cas followed after.  Gilda’s smile fell away and as Charlie got out, Dean explained what had happened.

 

“What the _fuck_?!”  Charlie ran around the side of the house to see while Gilda covered her mouth in horror.

 

“You saw him?  You saw Ketch?”  She asked.

 

“I saw him watching me from his porch.  When he knew I’d seen him, he went inside.  I don’t know if he did it, but it feels like it was him.  Everyone around here saw his little tantrum this morning.  There were plenty of witnesses.”  Dean replied.  He pulled her into his arms when she started to cry and hugged her.  Cas rubbed her back and looked up when another car pulled up.  This one the sheriff’s car.

 

Charlie came back out front pissed as hell, not that Dean blamed her.  She was on her phone, no doubt going through the footage from tonight, looking for the vandal.  The sheriff got out of his car and came over to talk to them.  Dean launched into an explanation of what had happened and why he’d felt the need to do a check of the property.  They waited for him to go and check the shed.  Charlie was still on her phone and she let out a sound of triumph when she found it.

 

“I got it!”  She waved her phone in the air excitedly.

 

“The person that did it?”  Dean asked.

 

“Yep!  Because I left the porch light on _and_ the kitchen light, it illuminated the side of the house just enough that you can see the bastard’s face.  It’s Ketch.”  She held the phone out to the sheriff so he could see their neighbor as he wrote horrible slurs across her shed and part of the trailer.

 

“Ok, and where does this guy live?”

 

All four of them pointed at Ketch’s house.

 

“Be careful, he’s not necessarily…stable.”  Cas warned.  The sheriff frowned but nodded before crossing the yard and starting up Ketch’s stairs.  Just then, another sheriff’s car pulled up. 

 

“I have to paint that in the morning, first thing.  I can’t have children seeing that.  That’s awful.”  Gilda shook her head as Charlie pulled her into her arms.

 

“No worries, hon, I have the paint in the house from the first time we painted it.  We can get out there real early, paint it, then go back to bed.  No one will be the wiser.”  Charlie stroked her hair and kissed her cheek, slowly calming her down.  Shouting next door drew their attention and they could see Ketch resisting being arrested.

 

“He really isn’t very smart, is he.”  Dean shook his head in disbelief.

 

“Not as smart as he likes to think he is.”  Cas said.  “It’s not his first time being arrested either.  This time they might lock him up for good.”

 

“I really hope they do, he’s an awful man.”  Gilda frowned as Ketch had to be restrained by both arresting officers and manually dragged down the steps and over to one of the cars. 

 

“Well, not how I expected the night to go.”  Cas sighed.

 

“No, but hey, I got a hot date tomorrow.”  Dean grinned.  Cas laughed and bumped shoulders with him.

 

“Seven?”

 

Dean winked and nodded.  “Seven.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully you all enjoyed this one. Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are always welcome.


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